Australian Pension Funds Boost Currency Hedging as Aussie Dollar Strengthens 
Asian Markets Surge as Japan Election, Fed Rate Cut Bets, and Tech Rally Lift Global Sentiment 
Nvidia, ByteDance, and the U.S.-China AI Chip Standoff Over H200 Exports 
Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate 
Innovent Biologics Shares Rally on New Eli Lilly Oncology and Immunology Deal 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Indian Refiners Scale Back Russian Oil Imports as U.S.-India Trade Deal Advances 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Lee Seung-heon Signals Caution on Rate Hikes, Supports Higher Property Taxes to Cool Korea’s Housing Market 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Yen Firms on Intervention Talk 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Middle East Tensions 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Samsung Electronics Shares Jump on HBM4 Mass Production Report 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Procter & Gamble announced on Friday, Dec. 17, that it had issued a voluntary recall for some of its products. The affected items are hair care brands that were sold nationwide in the United States via retail outlets and online.
As per Reuters, Procter & Gamble issued the recall after the discovery of benzene, a carcinogen or cancer-causing chemical, in some of the products that include shampoos and dry conditioners.
The presence of the said chemical is risky to the consumers because exposure to it through inhalation, the skin, or orally, can lead to certain cancers such as leukemia, blood cancer of the bone marrow, and other blood-related diseases that can be life-threatening.
P&G mentioned some Herbal Essences and Pantene products in addition to some of the discontinued variations of Old Spice and Hair Food brands. The latest recall also affects some Water and Aussie items. It is fortunate that the American consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, has not received any reports of unfavorable incidents yet related to the recall.
“Following recent reports that indicated traces of benzene in some aerosol spray products, we began a review of our total portfolio of aerosol products,” P&G stated in a press release that was published on Friday. “While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our products, our review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.”
Procter & Gamble said that nothing is more important for the company than the safety of the consumers and the quality of all the products they sell and distribute. The company also clarified that other Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, Hair Food, and Waterl<ss products that are not on the list of the recall are safe and may be continuously used as intended.
“The vast majority of our products are not part of this recall, including mousses, hairsprays, liquid shampoos, liquid conditioners, styling products, treatments, and unaffected aerosol dry shampoo sprays,” the company added.
Meanwhile, USA Today mentioned that the recall affects over 30 Proctor & Gamble aerosol products. Customers may check out the complete list of items at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recall notice.
